Ahead of Church’s 2025 Jubilee, Nigeria’s Consecrated Need to Review Charisms “in light of today’s realities”: Official

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In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the International Theological Conference, the InCLA Director, Fr. Peter Okonkwo, said that “there is a great possibility that Consecrated persons may have derailed at some point, but it’s time to bring them back on track to live out the charism of their founders.”

“We are men and women of hope, moving forward together to renew our experiences as a people and as God’s family,” Fr. Okonkwo told ACI Africa during the November 8 interview.

The Nigerian member of the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CMF) emphasized, “Religious men and women, Consecrated persons, are called upon to reexamine their charism in light of today’s realities.” 

Alluding to the theme of the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, “Pilgrims of Hope”, he said, “Even when the world sees no hope, we, as Christians, hope against hope. Our faith and trust are in God, not in earthly powers that may fail us. God remains faithful, and his kingdom will be manifest.”

The planned 2025 Jubilee Year, Fr. Okonkwo said, is an opportunity for women and men Religious to “realign themselves with the Church’s mission, renew their dedication to the poor, and deepen their reliance on hope.”

This hope, he went on to say, is deeply rooted in faith and is essential in facing the present-day uncertainties. 

“We must continue on our path as Religious, as Priests, and as people of hope, praying that the current hardships in our country will one day become a thing of the past,” he said.

In the November 8 interview with ACI Africa, the InCLA Nigeria Director reflected on the objectives of the four-day International Theological Conference.

“This is one of the ways we are participating in the celebration of the Jubilee Year that will come in 2025. The conference brought together different religious congregations, male and female, to participate in the preparation for the Pilgrimage of Hope, which is the celebration of the Church’s Jubilee in 2025,” Fr. Okonkwo said.

He noted that while founders of ICLSAL had reasons for settling for particular charisms at the founding of their respective Institutes and Societies, women and men Religious today need to adapt these charisms to contemporary contexts.





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